The invention relates to solid particle separation from liquids by filtering and more particularly to a leaf-type liquid filter machine capable of clarifying an exceptionally large volume of liquid and moving it in a generally continuously downwardly direction.
Leaf-type filters have generally been provided with liquid-input ports positioned within the plane of the filter elements or below them. A principal difficulty with this course of flow in filter machines is the flow interference with solids settling toward the bottom of the tank. A constant turbulence of liquid moving in an upwardly as well as a downwardly course makes it difficult for solids to reach the bottom of the filter machine, causing much of these solid particles to impinge and rapidly build up a cake upon the filter medium.
The need for an efficient high-flow filter machine has not heretofore been met, primarily because the concepts for such machines demonstate that the principles of liquid flow embodied in such machines are counter to the objects and purposes for which the machines were designed.
The improvement disclosed in this application relates particularly to the construction of the filter leaves or units and their adjacent spatial relationship.